Twitch Community Guidelines: Compliance Tips

Following Twitch's Community Guidelines is essential for maintaining a safe and welcoming streaming environment. These guidelines cover various topics, including:

• Hate and Harassment
• Sexual Content Rules
• Violence and Extreme Content
• Copyright and IP Rights
• Cheating and Exploits
• Spam and Scams

To stay within the guidelines:

Do	Don't
Monitor chat	Use copyrighted content without permission
Use content warnings	Violate intellectual property rights
Disable interactive features for sensitive topics	Fail to attribute original creators

Build a positive community by:

• Setting clear rules
• Using moderation tools
• Addressing inappropriate behavior promptly

Handle violations by:

• Recognizing violations
• Reporting violations to Twitch
• Understanding the enforcement process
• Appealing enforcement actions if needed

Maintain account security with:

• Strong passwords
• Two-factor authentication (2FA)
• Avoiding phishing attempts

By prioritizing compliance, you can avoid account suspensions, ensure a positive community, and maintain a strong online presence.

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Twitch's Community Guidelines

Twitch has guidelines to keep the platform safe and welcoming for everyone. These rules cover different topics:

Hate and Harassment

Twitch does not allow hate speech, offensive slurs, symbols, or stereotypes. This includes harassment of any kind. Users who engage in this behavior may face penalties, account suspension, or termination. Twitch aims to create a welcoming space for all.

Sexual Content Rules

Twitch has rules about sexual content and nudity. While artistic and educational nudity is not allowed, body painting, dancing, and other creative activities are welcome as long as they follow the guidelines. Streamers must wear appropriate attire for the context, location, and activity they are broadcasting.

Violence and Extreme Content

Twitch restricts violent and extreme content, including:

• Threats of violence
• Glorification or promotion of self-harm
• Extreme violence, gore, and obscene conduct

Users who engage in this behavior may face penalties, account suspension, or termination.

Copyright and IP Rights

Twitch requires users to respect intellectual property rights, including the use of copyrighted material. Users must obtain necessary permissions or licenses to use copyrighted content. Failure to do so may result in penalties, suspension, or termination.

Cheating and Exploits

Twitch prohibits cheating in games and exploiting platform features. Users who engage in this behavior may face penalties, account suspension, or termination. Twitch aims to create a fair and enjoyable experience for all.

Spam and Scams

Twitch restricts spam, scams, and other malicious conduct, including:

• Unauthorized sharing of private information
• Impersonation
• Other forms of malicious behavior

Users who engage in this behavior may face penalties, account suspension, or termination. Twitch aims to create a safe and trustworthy environment for all.

Staying Within the Guidelines

Monitoring Chat

Effective chat monitoring is key to preventing prohibited content or behavior on your stream:

• Assign moderators: Appoint trusted individuals to monitor chat and enforce your channel rules.
• Use chat tools: Automate moderation tasks with tools like Nightbot or Moobot.
• Set clear rules: Establish and communicate channel rules and consequences for violations.
• Encourage reporting: Ask viewers to report any inappropriate behavior.

Using Copyrighted Content

To avoid copyright violations, follow these guidelines:

Do	Don't
Obtain necessary permissions or licenses	Use copyrighted material without permission
Ensure you have the right to use copyrighted content	Violate intellectual property rights
Use royalty-free or Creative Commons-licensed content	Fail to attribute original creators
Give proper attribution to original creators	-

Content Warnings

When and how to use content warnings or age restrictions:

• Use warnings: Label your stream with warnings or age restrictions for mature or explicit content.
• Sensitive topics: Consider using a content warning or age restriction for streams that may contain sensitive or triggering topics.

Disabling Interactive Features

Recommendations for disabling interactive features like text-to-speech:

• Sensitive discussions: Disable text-to-speech or other interactive features when discussing sensitive or controversial topics.
• High traffic: Consider disabling interactive features during peak hours or when your stream is experiencing high traffic.
• Moderation tools: Use chat tools to help moderate and manage interactive features.

Building a Positive Community

Creating a welcoming space for viewers is key. Set clear rules that match Twitch's guidelines and state expected behavior. Rules should be:

• Specific and easy to understand
• Easily accessible to viewers
• Include consequences for breaking rules
• Clearly communicated to viewers

Use moderation tools to enforce rules and maintain a positive community:

Tool	Description
AutoMod	Filters out inappropriate content using machine learning
Moderators	Assign trusted individuals to monitor and enforce rules
Chat modes	Restrict or limit chat to prevent spam or harassment

Address inappropriate behavior promptly:

• Stay calm and professional
• Focus on the behavior, not the individual
• Refer to your rules and consequences
• Take appropriate action (timeouts, bans) if needed

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Handling Violations

Identifying and properly handling violations of Twitch's Community Guidelines is crucial for maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all users. This section covers the steps to take when recognizing, reporting, and appealing violations.

Recognizing Violations

To identify violations, you need to understand what behaviors or content breach Twitch's rules. Common violations include:

• Hate speech or harassment
• Nudity or sexual content
• Copyright infringement
• Violating the terms of service

Familiarize yourself with Twitch's guidelines to spot potential violations.

Reporting Violations

If you encounter a violation, report it to Twitch using their reporting tools. When filing a report, provide:

• The channel where the violation occurred
• Date, time, and time zone
• A description of the violation, including the username(s) involved
• A link to a VOD with a timestamp, screenshot, and/or chat log (if available)

Select the appropriate category for your report and give as much context as possible to help Twitch process it efficiently.

Enforcement Process

Twitch specialists review reported content and take appropriate action, which may include:

Enforcement Action	Description
Warning	A formal notice of violation
Temporary Suspension	Account access is temporarily restricted
Indefinite Suspension	Account access is indefinitely restricted

Repeat violations may result in more severe enforcement, including loss of privileges or permanent suspension.

Appealing Enforcement

If you believe an enforcement action was applied incorrectly, you can appeal through Twitch's appeals portal. The portal allows you to:

1. Verify your contact information
2. Select the ban or suspension to appeal
3. Provide context for your appeal

This information can help retrieve your account by explaining the situation. Once submitted, the portal will show the status and outcome of your appeal.

Account Security

Keeping your Twitch account secure is crucial to avoid issues like account hijacking, content theft, or legal troubles. Here are some tips to protect your account:

Strong Passwords

A strong password is your first defense against unauthorized access:

• Use a password manager to create and store complex passwords
• Avoid using personal info like your name, birthdate, or common words
• Mix uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters
• Make your password at least 12 characters long
• Don't reuse passwords across multiple accounts

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

2FA adds an extra security step beyond your password:

1. Go to your Twitch settings and select "Security and Privacy"
2. Click "Set Up Two-Factor Authentication"
3. Follow the prompts to enable 2FA using an authenticator app or SMS

With 2FA enabled, even if someone gets your password, they can't access your account without the second verification.

Avoid Phishing

Phishing attempts can lead to account compromise. Stay safe by:

• Being cautious of suspicious links or attachments from unknown senders
• Verifying the authenticity of emails or messages claiming to be from Twitch
• Never entering your login info on untrusted websites
• Keeping your browser and operating system up-to-date

Conclusion

Key Points

• Following Twitch's Community Guidelines is crucial for creating a safe and welcoming streaming environment.
• The guidelines cover various topics like hate and harassment, sexual content, violence, copyright, and cheating.
• This article provided tips on staying within the guidelines, building a positive community, handling violations, and maintaining account security.

Final Thoughts

Complying with Twitch's Community Guidelines is an ongoing process. Streamers must stay informed about updates and changes. By prioritizing compliance, you can:

• Avoid account suspensions
• Ensure a positive community
• Maintain a strong online presence

FAQs

What are the rules for streamers on Twitch?

Streamers must apply content labels to indicate if their stream contains mature themes related to:

• Mature-rated games
• Sexual content
• Drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use
• Violent and graphic depictions
• Significant profanity or vulgarity
• Gambling

What can you not do while streaming on Twitch?

Twitch prohibits content that:

• Depicts, glorifies, encourages, or supports terrorism
• Promotes violent extremist actors or acts
• Threatens or encourages others to commit acts resulting in serious physical harm or significant property destruction

What are the 18+ rules on Twitch?

Streamers must apply content labels to indicate if their stream contains mature themes related to:

Mature Theme
Mature-rated games
Sexual content
Drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use
Violent and graphic depictions
Significant profanity or vulgarity
Gambling

What violates Twitch's Terms of Service?

While Twitch prohibits nudity, inappropriate attire, pornography, and certain sexual content, streamers must apply a content label to streams containing sexual themes, such as:

• Mature-rated games
• Sexual content
• Drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use

What are the rules for streaming on Twitch?

While Twitch prohibits nudity, inappropriate attire, pornography, and certain sexual content, streamers must apply a content label to streams containing sexual themes, such as:

Sexual Theme
Mature-rated games
Sexual content
Drugs, intoxication, or excessive tobacco use

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